Taron Hambleton

Taron Hambleton (died 5 December 1560) was a Scottish Protestant rebel during the mid-16th century. On 5 December 1560, following the death of Mary of Guise, he and two other Scottish Protestant assassins were sent by the Lords of the Congregation to assassinate Mary, Queen of Scots in France to prevent her from becoming regent for King Charles IX of France upon his accession. They came across her in the woods as she was briefly separated from King Francis II of France, who was laying by the river nearby, and they attempted to kidnap her and take her to a safe location for execution. However, Francis and Mary's guards came to her aid after hearing her screams, and Francis killed two of the assassins, while Hambleton briefly escaped. He was later captured by Stephane Narcisse's men, and Narcisse informed Queen Mary that the Scottish Protestant nobility was behind the attempt on her life, which inadvertently mortally wounded King Francis. When Mary discovered that there was no more information which could come out of Hambleton, she had him hanged.